We have heard rumors that HTC was planning their first Android 2.0 phone this holiday season. The HTC Passion/Dragon is supposedly sporting a 1 GHz Snapdragon platform and running Eclair. A tipster just gave us the heads up that htcpassion.com is now live. The website features the Verizon logo next to the word “passion” with the text “coming holidays 2009″.

I’m not entirely sure this is official, but it is definitely interesting.

A whois of the domain reveals:

Contact: 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #110 – 732
Westchester, CA 90045

Name servers: ns1.made2own.com
ns2.made2own.com

Creation date: 16 Sep 2009 22:25:01

What do you guys think? I’ve been waiting for a new HTC Android 2.0 phone to arrive. I might just have to open a 2nd line with Verizon.

Taylor is the founder of Android and Me. He resides in Dallas and carries the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and HTC One as his daily devices. Ask him a question on Twitter or Google+ and he is likely to respond. | Ethics statement

Most Tweeted This Week

http://facebook.com/FckingAllen FckingAllen

why Verizon? why are they leaving Tmobile behind with these 2.0 devices?

firerock

It’s more like where’s t-mobile marketing people? Have they not gotten any Android 2.0 phone coming for t-mobile at all? Stop wasting money on advertising my-touch or cliq…they have been out-class by others before the phone came to the market.

http://androidandme.com Taylor Wimberly

You do realize Verizon has like 90 million subscribers compared to T-Mobile’s 30 million?

PLEAZ

OMG!!!!! WAT DO U MEAN VERIZON IS AN ULTIMATELY MORE FIGURATIVELY BETTER SERVICE COMPANY!!!!!!!!!!

David

I just had a nerdgasm

Patrick W.

It’s extremely well readable… *cough*

But good that it’s still coming this year. I just hope that it will be released in Europe then as well..

Charles R.

Wow! I almost started a Sprint contract today. In fact, if Best Buy hadn’t tried to convince me that I needed the $99 Simply Everything plan with the Pre, I totally would’ve had a new contract on my hands. I was starting to lose faith that the Passion rumors would turn out to be true, but this is excellent. I’ll stick it out another month. That’s no problem for me.

Charles R.

Actually, now that I look at it, I’m a little perturbed by the source code for that site. And the whois information for the site returns an address that, when put through the Google strainer, seems to be involved in an awful lot of scam concerns. And after a bit of Google Maps street view roaming, it appears that the address in question references a non-descript building with the label “8939″ on its awning and the words “Airport Office Center” on the left glass door panel.

So, suspicious cat is suspicious.

I don’t think this is the proof of the long-rumored Verizon/HTC/Android lovefest device that we’re looking for.

Charles R.

For those who can’t be bothered to roam virtual streets, here a screen cap of the location as viewed through my browser:

The whois information you say is not the true registrant’s address. It has “WhoisGuard” as their contact, which is when the registrant doesn’t want his information to go public and pay an extra fee to have their contact hide behind another service provider, which is WhoisGuard in this case.

As for the ugly code w/out any or …oh well…crap designers are everywhere.

Charles R.

Interestingly enough, Google Maps actually does show the exact same location listed when “WhoIsGuard” is entered into the search field. I suspected that it might be guarded, but, as I said, the amount of scams related to the address put me on alarm.

That said, it’s obvious why it’d be a scam magnet – anyone with ill-intent would definitely want to block their address from being detected. So, we’re kinda at a standstill I suppose. Both HTC and someone playing a practical joke would have legitimate reason to hide their actual physical location.

I still believe the phone is coming, regardless of whether or not the site is legitimate. I’m just wondering when.

richard

Looks like if I want a next gen Android device I will have to leave t-mobile

David

I can only guess that T-Mo thought that their early term fee would keep all of us Android early adopters in check until the middle of next year. I wonder if they’re seeing the error of their ways yet.

Fidget253

i hope its fake, i just got a droid, but 1 ghz man thats fast32

http://codeshogun.com lordhong

Taylor, opening a 2nd line on ur existing VZW account does NOT qualify you as a new customer, and thus no discounts on the Passion/Dragon. You can open an account with someone else’s name, and later combine them into a family plan, that’ll probably work…

Again, Dragon! Too good to be true! I just got my Droid last month, OUCH!

http://androidandme.com Taylor Wimberly

I do not have an account with VZW. I’m with T-Mobile. I meant opening up a 2nd wireless account.

greatpuruntong

If you are existing VZW customer with an active line, opening up a new line for same customer name would also enjoy the device the discount like a new customer. Believe me, I’m 100% correct.

http://codeshogun.com lordhong

no, multiple Verizon CSR told me i cannot just open a 2nd line $9.99 and qualify for the new customer discounts.

mulda71

your wrong. totally 100% wrong. you can add a line and buy this phone at the subsidized price. no hard feelings though.

ZRod

Sorry, but they are wrong, I’ve done it before with Verizon.

http://Website Zero

If you are a single line account, no you won’t be able to add a line for $9.99, you’ll have to bump up to a Family Share plan of some sort. Either way tho, you’d still get the new customer price.

http://Website vzforlife

Actually, opening another line does give you the discounts on the phones just as if you were a new customer. I just added my mom a few days ago and she got the price on her phone that a new customer would get.

Chris

No way that’s real. Look at the source code. A good designer, especially one hired by a major company, even if it was just a landing page, would at least adhere to w3 standards…this definitely does not.

Yeah, I thought it looked kind of suspicious. That is why I listed the whois information. I will see if Verizon will confirm or deny.

richard

you do recieve a discount with second line

http://www.greenpeas.us David Stembridge

I think the whois info doesn’t match up with Verizon Wireless’ whois info.
This looks like perhaps it is not legit. I had hoped to see some hints on Friday….

DiStro

No dice for me. I doubt Verizon would come out with the Passion so soon. Just look at the Droid, it is currently Verizon, Google, and Motorola’s flagship phone. I wouldn’t expect the Passion/Dragon to come out at least another 3 months….that is if it even exists.

shnike’s

I would have to say that Verizon would be incredibly stupid to allow this phone to even surface at this point. The Droid is aimed at more of a tech nerd society, and releasing the Passion prior to the 30 trial period of the Droid expiring would be disastrous to say the least. VZ knows better.

Ben

after doing a traceroute on the host, its hosted by some losers cheap server running cpanel. definitely a fake, you should delete this news posting and do your research first next time.

romeo.made2own.com is where its hosted at a rented server at made2own.com

Jeff

Fake, I can tell by the pixels(lol I know, but I’m serious).

The Verizon logo, is usually a vector, you cant see different shades of red. But this logo is in raster format, which is probably why the owner lowered the opacity of the image.

And the Image quality of the word passion is terrible.

And I dont think Verizon will stick with the name, Passion. The have built the term Droid into a recognizable icon(and w/ Droid Eris). Having a android phone with a different name entirely will be probably cause some confusion.(Which is why I also think this phone isnt coming to Verizon).

http://androidandme.com Taylor Wimberly

Well the first codename for the phone was the HTC Dragon. I’m not saying this is real or fake, but it could be called the Verizon Droid Passion.

monkeydroid

Wasn’t this phone supposed to be a gsm phone first? Considering that the Droid just came out, I doubt this phone will be on Verizon so soon. Either way T-mo is blowing it when it comes to choosing android phones.

some1

fake

http://johnny.com Johnny

EDITOR:

I’m calling bad journalism… How on earth can you have a headline that reads “HTC PASSION COMING TO VERIZON THIS CHRISTMAS” when there is ZERO PROOF of that besides “a tipster” that sent in a website that happens to have a VZW logo next to the phone… Talk about spreading misinformation… Get with it Editor.

sregister

I am calling bs. Someone had to have done this for the lulz. Why would they launch a site, saying “coming holidays 2009″ That is super simple html. You would think they would have some more code. Personally, why would they release a phone right now. Obviously, they are trying to push the droid, have you noticed all the ads on tv. If this is true, they would be stealing customers from themselves. Fake I say.

Matt

Definitely fake. It would be the “Droid Passion” anyway, since they’re using the Droid brand for all of their Android phones.

kris

@johnny. Notice the question mark in the title? How are you gonna say bad journalism?

http://johnny.com Johnny

@kris The Question mark wasn’t in the title when I originally posted. It has since been updated.

http://Website Kris

My bad bro I never even realized haha

onlyever

I was taken in by this for a little while, I even alerted some other sites. But I can see the BS now. Some tipster is probably the person who made the site. This can be tracjed down, but this in know way invalidates hope for the reality of the HTC Passion. You never know…

Michael S

I also agree that this smells like a fake. But, there is one fly in that ointment, and that is the creation date of September 16th. For anyone planning a hoax it certainly is an elaborate one to start it that early. I mean, how many people even had this on their radar at that point?

The validity of the site in question really shouldn’t deter anyone’s faith in the phone being released. Regardless of this being real or fake, the Passion is coming. Perhaps it won’t be named “HTC Passion”, perhaps it won’t come to Verizon, perhaps our imagined form factor is completely off. Doesn’t matter. HTC is going to make an Android phone with a next-gen processor in it running Android 2.0 at some point in time. Probably sooner than later.

I won’t be picking it up personally because the Droid is my phone of choice. The Passion (even the idea of it) is going to be an amazing phone that will command respect. Still be excited for it.

Juan

Maybe it will be released by TMobile as the G2! LOL!

genomecop

The Passion 100 percent is coming out. My friends at Google have seen and handled the phone….Im trying to get more information. And for anyone claiming gossip or BS..I had the Mytouch weeks before it was released on TMO, that i was given it from these people. My photos of the phone were on all the sites…so i know if they say they have it, then they have it.

onlyever

Since you have connections with Google, and friends who have handled the device, do you know anything about the stability of the device–how close to being completed it is. Any insight in the naming by Verizon? This could help disspell all the rumors and such.

But even if the device is real, that doesn’t mean that the site is.

Scott

This is blogging, not journalism. I don’t expect fact-checking. That’s the nature of a near-realtime web.

That said, since this is obviously fake, does that mean AT&T or T-mobile might get this beauty? I hope so.

David

Just because it may be fake doesn’t mean it is not going to Verizon.

onlyever

That uses zip logic. If it was fake, it wouldn’t be coming to any netowrk. If it’s coming to Verizon, it has to be real. You can’t have a really fake phone coming to Verizon. I don’t think that exclusivity to internet legends is a part of Verizon and Google’s contract. (But I still believe in the passion, like a child leaving out cookies for Santa.)

AwsmAdm

He is saying “just because the website may be fake it doesn’t mean the phone wont come to verizon,” not “just because the phone may be fake doesn’t mean the phone wont come to verizon”

http://www.twitter.com/DrJeckyl Dr.Jeckyl

Have there been any official specs or pics for this device yet? And being released soon?

onlyever

On the http://htchero.com thing, that is obviously a fan site, not an official HTC Site. Therefore, if they are registered to the same address, this is obviously going to be a blog for the HTC Passion when it arrives, which leads to the notion that the ‘Coming Holidays 2009′ is just their specualtion. But, now there is no doubt of the arrival of the Passion soon, probably renamed by Verizon as the DROID Passion, or DROID NOIS. Further development on this stroy has caused tons of specualtion, and hype about this phone – I doubt everyone is being completly duped.

joseph

this is fake… the logo is wrong… besides the address associated with the site is also associated with a lot of scams

pmac

Not even the correct Verizon logo.. My bet is its a fake site.

Takel

I hate to say this, but this is definitely not a site by htc or verizon. Htchero.com is has the same contact information as this site, and it’s most certainly not affiliated in any way. I wish this wasn’t the case, but this is shaping up to be a longer wait than expected.

name

That website cannot be official, anybody could make that website and also there’s no verizon copyright.

Topher

Fake. It says ‘holidays 2009′ if real it would read ‘holiday 2009′. Also, no title, head, body, etc in the html. No one would do that.

sregister

did they really say “We don’t discuss phones that we don’t currently sale.” sale, what?

alwaysright

@lordhong:

I just want to correct your incorrect correction; if you open a new line on an existing vzw account you WILL get the new customer pricing for a phone on that line. Aka you will get a cheaper price for the phone. Know your facts before you criticize the author :)

http://www.yankees.com Tony Simpson

“…..currently SALE or SELL?” In other news, I am waiting for this damn phone. I have held off getting the Droid because of this phone. I don’t want to spend $50 to give the Droid back if this thing comes out in a month. Damn it Verizon, announce something already.

mulda71

why would you have to give them 50 bucks

Brendan

This site is not legit. 1) It would seem to me that an official website for a product launch would at least have the correct logo for the carrier. This is not Digital “V” would be followed by “Wireless”. 2) This would not be the first time a website featuring a specific product hosted by Verizon Wireless has been prepared. However, the diference is in the past the website would be http://www.verizonwireless.com/”product”. In this case the site would be http://www.verizonwireless.com/passion.
Anyone can setup a website as long as the domain has not been reserved

Bryan

i have have heard from a sales manager at verizon that the word coming down the pipe is that the HTC Passion is in fact the next droid device coming to verizon, but no word on the timing of the release. his comment was “it would be weird to release a big device like that in mid-december. they usually do their big marketing push pre-thanksgiving and then ride it through december. stranger things have happened though”. i wonder if their holiday marketing push was more than the (motorola) droid though and includes the whole lineup of droids? that would make a holiday release of the droid “passion” logical. i guess we’ll know soon enough…

dynasty

I thought the Motorola Calgary was the next droid device Verizon was going to release.

Jeff

Sounds like a great phone. Unfortunately I needed seven phones, five of which required data. Verizon was just to expensive so I went with Sprint and got Hero’s and Moments.

http://Website Paul

The Passion is coming to Verizon sometime in December. I live in the NY metro area and just the other day during the morning newscast on Channel 7 there was a Verizon commercial saying the Passion was coming before the Christmas season was over. I don’t know if it was a mistake on their part because I haven’t seen the commercial since then.

http://greenpeas.us David S

What’s the url for your Channel 7 station?

http://Website Paul

The commercial didn’t show a picture of the device but had a voiceover over some flowery background (I think, it’s hard to remember) saying that the Passion was coming in early December and that it was an HTC phone. Like I said in the post, I only saw the commercial once and haven’t seen it again, so it could of been a mistake on Verizon’s part or Channel 7 (the ABC affiliate in NYC). I didn’t even know about the Passion before the commercial, but as a Verizon customer and looking to upgrade soon, I then went and did a google search for “Verizon, HTC, Passion” and then saw all the rumors floating around out there. The URL for the channel 7 is 7online.com